I want to concentrate on crop farming and livestock keeping in the upcoming year. However, the success of this endeavor is heavily dependent on rainfall availability. As a result, I will be able to embark on my motorcycle taxi business when we observe an increase in food crop production because many people will have more cash flow. However, since there is currently no money, I have let go of the taxi business, and I do charcoal burning more often. People stop using taxi services because of low cash flow. Unlike before, things were better because there were plenty of crops and low fuel prices, so people were not in extreme poverty as it is now.

I believe GiveDirectly does well in providing the underprivileged community with unconditional cash transfers. It makes sure to enroll deserving households, which helps to lessen family conflict. Second, with cash transfers, many people can always put their needs first. Our way of life has undergone significant change because of the program in our village. I also managed to build a rental home on my plot of land next to our neighborhood market. I have started collecting $10 a month in rent from it. The majority has also purchased livestock and constructed new homes. Goats and new homes acquired by the transfer are readily visible to anyone strolling the neighborhood.

My wife, I, and our seven children make up our family of nine. Because there is no other work available, my wife and I both work hard to make charcoal for a living. Before, I relied excessively on motorcycle taxis, which are currently struggling due to a hike in fuel prices and low cash flow. I had initially started constructing a rental house at our neighborhood market. Inadequate cash prevented it from being finished. It is a two-room house with mud walls. I spent $400 from the last transfer to finish building it. I am happy that my house is rented, and I can collect $10 from it every month. It provides me with additional income to support my family. In addition, I bought a young cow with the remaining money. I am glad I now own a cow.

I felt great happiness the moment I received the money because it is never easy to just get such an amount, and I felt so lucky to have been one of the people that got to receive that financial assistance from GiveDirectly. It gave me the ability to get and do the things that I had always wanted to, as well address the most pressing challenge which to me was regular food for my family. Therefore, I was so happy when I received the money.

Before, I used to sweat over where I was always going to get food for my family as the only source of income I depended on was charcoal burning and selling, which hardly raised enough to buy food for my family. Therefore, the biggest difference in my daily life since I started receiving money from GiveDirectly, I can say, is that I was able to buy enough food for my family that will keep us going for quite some time because that is what I can say was the biggest and most pressing challenge I was facing. We now have food, I no longer have to go to the forest to cut down trees and burn charcoal and sell. I am so happy and grateful, all thanks to GiveDirectly.

I spent most of the transfer which was almost around KES 29000 on building a two room house for rentals. I did this because I desired for so long to have a rental houses business where people will be renting the rooms for their various business, paying me monthly and I am actually happy and proud to inform you that at the moment, I have one room already booked. This is an investment that I believe will live on unlike something else that can be consumed and be finished with time, and it will also be a tribute to GiveDirectly as I will always remember the assistance I received whenever I see my rental houses. I am so happy and proud, all thanks to GiveDirectly. I also spent KES 8000 on repairing my motorcycle because that one too is not only my personal means of transportation but also a business venture since I can at times operate it as a motorcycle taxi and earn a little income on a daily basis which complements my other business which is the rental houses. I am grateful, I no longer have to go to the forest and cut down trees and burn charcoal and sell, like I used to before.